Engine



Jan. 10, 1939..

D. J. DOLAN ENGINE Filed Aug. 7, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR DAVID J. DOLAN Ma. 11 M- m A T ORNEY! Patented Jan. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ENGINE David Application August '7,

15 Claims.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and more particularly to a type of engine adapted for location within the wing of an aeroplane for-propulsion of the latter.

An object ofthe invention is engine of fiat form for the purpose. Another object is to provide improvedand simplified supercharging and scavenging efiect upon the engine combustion chambers. Another object is to provide cooperative structural effect between engine and Wing.

Further objects are to provide novel and improved details of the engine structureas will appear.

illustrates thecharacteristics of a set The exact nature of this invention together with-further objects and advantages thereof will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figs. 1 and 2 are horizontal and longitudinal sections respectively, illustrating in conventional manner the engine and its relation with immediately associated aeroplane parts, the plane of Fig. 1 being indicated by the'line l--l, Fig. 2, and theplan'e of Fig. 2 being indicated by the line 2--2; Fig; 1; Fig. 3 is anenlarged detail of typical parts of the engine takerras in the plane of line 3-'-3; Fig; 1, and having parts broken away to show details of construction.

With reference now'to thedrawings, l is the crankshaft of theengine which has suitable bearings in a crankcase 2, which isdisposed fore and aft'of an aeroplane wing generally designated by the reference characterS andextends forward of the' latter and there carries the usual propeller 4.

For driving the crankshaft l, the engine has a numberof stationary pistons from which cylinders tare movable.

The engine illustrated has thirty-two cylinders, all disposed-within'the wing, sixteen on each side of the crankshaft. For each crank there are two parallel lines ofcylinders, one above the other on aXestransverse of the plane, each line having four coaxial cylinders, two on each side of the crank, and the eight cylinders of such two lines comprising a set effective upon one of the cranks ofthe'crankshaft as will appear. The shaft having four'cranks, there are four such sets of eight cylinders, comprising a total of thirty-two.

With reference now particularly to Fig. 3 which of cylinders for drivingrone oftthe cranks la, 'I'is a manifold arranged-generally to extend fore and aft of the wing; having an'assooiated flange part Ta extending toitheupperr and lowerextremities of the wing to serve.asaazbulkhead for; the latter; and joining to provide an J. Dolan, Cleveland.- Heights, Ohio 1936; Serial No; 94,814

transverse bulkheads wardextremities.

The manifold 1 is generally hollow and the pistons Bare mounted thereon in alined pairs, the pistons being hollow and their cavities communicating with that of the manifold 1 as illustrated particularly in Figs. 2and3.

A cylinder 6 is provided for'each piston 5, but means are provided for-support of the cylinders independent of their pistons. Thus for each line of cylinders a rod 8 is provided having bearing in bosses 2a in the crankcase 2, 1c in the manifold 1, and at Sam at bulkhead 9; one at each lateral extremity of the engine. These bulkheads 9 extend between the bulkheads 1b and thus cooperate withthe latter to substantially enclose the engine as well as reinforce the wing. Each rod 8 is disposed adjacent its line of cylinders with each of which it is secured as by stops 8b so that these cylinders are constrained to move in unison on their pistons and'have support from their rod.

Of each line of cylinders the pair adjacent the crankshaft are directlyinterconnectedbya rod Ill interconnecting their head portions as indicated inFig. 3, such rod Ii] having yieldable elements of rubber or the like conventionally indicated at "la.

The rods l extend through the crankcase 2, in the sides of which they havebearing, and for each set of cylinders its pair of rods I!) are interconnected by a crosshead having'a pair of members l l between which a guideway is provided for the corresponding crank, a block lb being preferably provided upon the crank pin la for improved bearing inthe crosshead. The'arrangement will be recognized'as generally similar to that known as the Scotch yoke, and by which it will be apparent that reciprocation in unison of the eight cylinders of the set may cause rotation of the crankshaft.

Each piston has a port 5a and each cylinder 6 a cooperative ported bypass 6a by which air may pass from the hollow of the piston into the com bustion chamber of the cylinder in timed relation with the stroke ofthe cylinder on the pistonwhen the cylinder is adjacent the outer end of its stroke. The cylinder also has an exhaust port 61) located opposite the described inlet bypass whereby productsof combustion are released and assisted in exhaustion bythe incoming air from the piston. The arrangement will be recognized as generally a. typical one' for operation on the twostroke cycle.

Each piston 5 is provided with a nozzle conventionally illustrated at 512 in its head end for injection of fuel into its combustion chamber.

1b at'its' forward and rear supercharging effect had.

It is to be noted that whereas a set of eight 1. An engine for the purpose described comprising ton to cylinder. I

3. An engine for the purpose described comprising a plurality of alined pairs of stationary pistons, manifold means pistons and providing air inlet to each, a cylinextending to the contour aeroplane.

operating synchronously to. actuate said crank and'comprising a rod connected to each cylinder, and a crosshead interconnecting said rods and 10. An engine for the purpose described comprising a plurality of stationary pistons horizontally disposed in spaced alined relation, a cylinder for each piston, means interconnecting said cylinders to cause them to move in unison upon their pistons, and means supporting said cylinder interconnecting means, and thereby said cylinders, independent of said pistons.

11. In an aeroplane wing, an engine having a crankshaft extending fore and aft, a bulkhead, pistons secured to said bulkhead and disposed upon lateral axes, cylinders for said pistons, and means connecting said cylinders to said crankshaft.

12. In the wing of an aeroplane, an engine having a crankshaft extending fore and aft of said aeroplane, a fore-and-aft bulkhead having a passage, hollow pistons secured to said bulkhead and disposed upon lateral axes, with the passage of said bulkhead communicating with the cavities of said pistons, a cylinder for each piston, said pistons and cylinders having parts cooperative for timed admission of air from piston to cylinder, means providing driving connection from said cylinders to said crankshaft, a propeller mounted upon said crankshaft forward of said wing, said bulkhead having a mouth for its said passage located in the slip stream of said propeller.

13. In the wing of an aeroplane, an engine having a crankshaft extending fore and aft of said aeroplane, a fore-and-ait bulkhead having a passage, hollow pistons secured to said bulkhead and disposed upon lateral axes, with the passage of said bulkhead communicating with the cavities of said pistons, a cylinder for each piston, said pistons and cylinders having parts cooperative for timed admission of air from piston to cylinder, means providing driving connection from said cylinders to said crankshaft, a propeller mounted upon said crankshaft forward of said wing, said bulkhead having a mouth for its said passage located to be traversed by the blades of said propeller, said propeller blades and said cylinders being in such relation that said propeller will effect maximum input of air to said bulkhead mouth at such times as to produce maximum flow from said pistons to their cylinders.

ing a plurality of pistons arranged in a row fore and aft of the wing, each upon an axis extending transversely of said plane, a cylinder for each thereon and having an exhaust pipe, an exhaust manifold extending fore and aft of said wing with an open mouth at the forward portion of the wing and a discharge opening at the rearward part of the wing, said manifold having, for each said exhaust pipe, an opening to receive said pipe and elongated to permit said cylinder movement.

15. In the wing of an aeroplane, an engine having a stationary piston and a cylinder movable upon said piston, means for supporting said cylinder independent of said piston and comprising a bulkhead for said wing, and rod means connected to said cylinder and having a bearing in said bulkhead.

DAVID J. DOLAN. 

